I John 1:1-2 (Msg)
From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.
To center your life on Christ, you must personally experience God.
When I was seventeen, I worked the summer at Camp Ba-Yo-Ca. Ba-Yo-Ca stands for Baptist Youth Camp, and I was a counselor during boys’ camp and washed dishes during the girls’ camp (please don’t let Tracy know I can wash dishes).
One night, it also fell to me to light the campfire for the nightly devotion. We were very safety conscious back then and so was the glass jar containing the gasoline I used to light the fire. The way it was supposed to work was I would wait by the lake next to the wood with the gas and matches until someone yelled that it was time for the fire. Then I would pour the gas on the wood, throw the match and back away quickly before the group of nearly 100 campers and staff converged on the fire by the lake. The one night I remember most was when I KNOW I heard the call to light the fire and proceeded to pour out the gasoline only to hear a second call that it was not yet time. Well, even I know you can’t get the gas back in the jar, so I just waited, not wanting to light the wood too early. (I knew who chopped, gathered and stacked the firewood, so I didn’t want to waste any). After 10 or 15 minutes, a roaring gang came rushing to the lakeside shivering and eager for a fire. I asked politely for them to step back so I could light the fire. They did – about 6 inches. I instructed them strongly in a cracking high school voice to STAND BACK! And they did – another 6 inches. With everyone being duly warned and “safely” retreated, I tossed the sparking match towards the center of the gas soaked wood.
WHOOMPF ß picture as a big font and bold!
The gasoline vapors had settled at least 3 to 4 feet beyond the expected area, and as the match fell, the flames ran out and then quickly jumped high into the sky. We were very blessed that no one was hurt and that no one named Jim lost his job.
How does this relate to an experience having to be personal? I believe that on that night there were two things learned. First, I learned a little wood lit early is better than a huge fireball among your friends and small children and that God protects fools with matches. Second, a whole lot of young campers learned that when I asked them to do something, they should probably obey.
There’s nothing like a personal experience. Whether you are alone with a match, or surrounded by a group, what we experience is real. Each of us is exposed to many things, and we can testify with certainty to those we personally experience. I don’t know the answer to all the questions people can ask about Christianity, but I personally know my savior. How do you experience Him daily?
No comments:
Post a Comment